PS4 online multiplayer will require a PlayStation Plus subscription

If you own either a PS3 or PS Vita, chances are you already know and maybe even take advantage of the benefits that come with a PlayStation Plus subscription. There’s access to a number of free games, you get discounts, priority access to new content, online storage for your saves games, and your hardware’s firmware is automatically updated.

The PlayStation Plus subscription is set to continue being offered when the PS4 is released, and you’ll only pay for one $50 subscription across all Sony’s gaming devices. However, there is one significant change Sony is introducing. When the PS4 launches, you’ll need to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription in order to play multiplayer games online.

Currently that is not a prerequisite for PS3 games, but Sony is making the switch for the PS4. However, the same rule change isn’t applying to other online services. So you’ll still be able to access services like Netflix and Hulu Plus without PS Plus. The automatic updates which are currently a benefit of PS Plus on PS3 will become a feature everyone has access to on PS4, and Sony is also leaving all the social aspects of the machine as standard, non-subscription features.

PlayStation Plus on PS4 therefore becomes a subscription you will want to pick up if you intend to play online multiplayer games often, or want access to free games and discounts every month. That will surely force more gamers to sign up to gain access to multiplayer, but will they be angry about that or not bothered due to the free games and features it also unlocks?

One thing that does remain unclear is how Gaikai features will fit into the ecosystem. Remote Play won’t arrive on PS4 until 2014 and will use some of Gaikai’s technology, but Sony has yet to decide if using Gaikai will require an additional subscription payment or come as standard with PlayStation Plus. Hopefully it’s the latter.